Package construction for a plurality of articles



Jan. 20, 1970 M. T. FARQUHAR PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION FOR A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 25, 1966 JNVENTOR. MELVILLE T. FARQUHAR BY ,nm/

ayd/ Q HIS ATTORNEYS PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION FOR A PLURALITY OF-ART'ICLE.S

Jan. 20, 1970 M. f. FARQUHAR 6 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR. MELVILLE T. FARQUHAR HIS ATTORNEYS Jan. 20, 1970 M. T. FARQUHAR PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION FOR A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec.

, v AIL-Ililil-ll v u!- Iilllllllllllli INVENTOR. MELVILLE T. FARQUHAR Y a; 544

HIS ATTORNEYS 'Jan. 20, 1970 MT. FARQUHAR PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION FOR A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 23, 1966 INVENTOR. MELVILLE T. FARQUHAR BY @w w HlS ATTORNEYS Jan. 20, 1970 M. T. FARQUHAR 3,490,582

PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION FOR A PIJURALITY OF ARTICLES Filed Dec. 25, 19 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. MELVILLE T. FARQUHAR ms ATTORNEYS Jam 20, 1970 M. T. FARQUHAR PACKAGE CONSTRUCTI ON FOR A PLURALIT'Y OF ARTICLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Dec. 23. 1966 INVENTOR. MELVILLE T. FARQUHAR W KM JYZZMV HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 20665 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a package constuction wherein a plurality of articles are held in a predetermined arrangement by a film-like member having a portion thereof engaging against the upper ends of the articles with that portion being separated into a plurality of parts respectively engaging the upper ends of the articles so that the articles can be held in such predetermined arrangement without having the upper ends drawn toward each other and can be serially removed from the package construction by causing relative movement between the respective engaging part of the portion of the film-like member and the package construction while the remaining articles are being maintained in the predetermined arrangement by the remaining parts of the film-like member, the film-like member being heat shrunk to hold and compact the articles in their predetermined arrangement together with or without a support member supporting the other ends of the articles, depending on the shape of the articles, and being compacted against the other ends of the articles by the heat shrunk film-like member.

This invention relates to an improved package construction utilizing film-like means as well as to an improved method for making such a package construction or the like.

It is well known that a plurality of articles can be held together in a predetermined arrangement by telescopically disposing the articles within a tubular film-like member, with or without a tray-like supporting member supporting the lower ends of the articles, and thereafter, heat shrinking the tubular film-like member to tightly compact the articles together in the predetermined arrangement so that the resulting package construction can be utilized for shipping, storing, merchandising or other purposes as desired.

However, it has been found, according to the teachings of this invention, that when the articles are disposed in aligned arrangement and have tapering configurations, the heat shrinking of the tubular film-like material caused the outboard articles to pivot or tip toward the middle article whereby an unattractive package construction is provided.

Also, when such prior known package construction is initially opened to permit removal of certain of the articles, the initial opening of the tubular film-like member completely destroys the integrity of the package construction so that if only part of the articles are to be initially utilized, some additional means must be provided for maintaining the other articles in a desired arrangement for the subsequent storing thereof until the remaining articles are to be utilized.

Accordingly, one of the features of this invention is to provide a package construction of the above type wherein the articles can have tapering configurations and the like and not be compacted together at their upper tapering ends. Another feature of this invention is to provide a package construction wherein the articles can be serially removed from the package construction While 3,490,582 Patented Jan. 20, 1970 the remaining articles will be held in their predetermined arrangement without requiring auxiliary means to maintain such remaining articles in a proper condition for storage purposes and the like.

For example, one embodiment of the package construction of this invention has a portion of the film-like member that engages the upper ends of the prearranged articles separated into a plurality of parts respectively engaging the upper ends of the prearranged articles and positively holding the same so that the articles will be disposed substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the package construction without tipping or cocking thereof and can be serially removed from the package construction by causing relative movement between their respective engaging parts of the portion of the film-like member and the package construction, while the remaining articles are being retained in the predetermined arrangement by the remaining parts of the film-like member.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved package construction having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method for making such a package construction or the like, the method of this invention having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description, Which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an article support member for forming a package construction of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating the sup-port member of FIGURE 1 supporting a plurality of articles.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 and illusstrates the assembled support member and articles of FIGURE 2 telescopically disposed within a heat shrinkable, tubular film-like member.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 and illustrates the tubular film-like member in a partially heat shrunk condition.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 and illustrates the partially heat shrunk tubular member of FIG- URE 4 having the upper portion thereof separated into a plurality of parts respectively engaging the upper end of the articles.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view illustrating the completed package construction of this invention formed by the further heat shrinking 0f the film-like member of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 and illustrates one step in the method for serially removing the articles from the package construction of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 99 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 1010'of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 11 is a side view of another package construction of this invention.

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 1212 of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged end view of the package construction of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 14 is a side view of another package construction of this invention.

FIGURE 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 1515 of FIGURE 14.

FIGURE 16 is an enlarged end view of the package construction of FIGURE 14.

FIGURE 17 is a perspective view illustrating another package construction of this invention.

FIGURE 18 is an exploded perspective view of the various parts for forming the package construction of FIGURE 17.

. While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described and illustrated as being particularly adapted for providing package constructions for a relatively small number of relatively small articles, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide like package constructions for a larger number of larger articles having different configurations and sizes as described.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to illustrate some of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, an improved package construction of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 20 and comprises a plurality of articles 21 having the lower end means 22 thereof supported in spaced relation by a support member or means 23 while being held to and compacted against the support member 23 by a heat shrunk tubular film-like member 24 having an upper portion 25 thereof separated into a plurality of parts 26 respectively engaging and compacting against the upper end means 27 of the articles 21 whereby the tubular film-like member 24 completes the package construction 20 so that the articles 21 can be readily shipped, stored, merchandised or the like while the ultimate consumer can utilize the package construction 20 in a manner to serially remove the articles 21 in a manner hereinafter set forth while the remaining articles 21 are firmly held in the package construction 20 for subsequent storing and use thereof, as desired.

In particular, the heat shinkable film-like member 24 can comprise a transparent sheet of polyvinyl chloride which readily permits the ultimate consumer to remove a particular article 21 by the ultimate consumer merely grasping the outer surface of the engaging part 26 of the film-like member 24 and its respective articles 21 and pivoting the same outwardly relative to the package construction 20 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 7 whereby the engaging part 26 of the film-like member 24 will tear across and separate from the remaining portion of the film-like member 24 so that the pivoted articles 21 can be readily removed from the package construction 20 while the remaining articles 21 are positively held in a compact manner by the remaining parts 26 of the filmlike member 24 until it desired to remove one or more of the remaining articles 21.

Thus, it can be seen that the package construction 20 of this invention not only provides an attractive display means for a plurality of articles 21 to be sold in a set of the desired number, but also the package construction 20 permits the ultimate consumer to serially remove the articles 21 from the package construction 20 as needed while providing suitable storage means for the remaining articles until the same are required as the integrity of the package construction 20 is not destroyed by the removal of the articles 21 until the last article 21 is removed.

Further, by forming the film-like member 24 of transparent material, it can be seen that the ultimate consumer can readily view the packaged product means 21 on display shelves and the like and all advertising media and the like can be disposed on the articles 21 and/or support member 23 to be readily viewed through the transparent film-like member 24, the transparent film-like member 24 not only adding luster and sales appeal to the articles 21, but also enhancing the sales appeal of the informational media or other media on the articles 21 and/ or support member 23.

One method of this invention for making the package construction 20 illustrated in FIGURE 6 will now be described with the understanding that the particular support means 23 and the particular articles 21 can be of any suitable shape and configuration and need not be of the type hereinafter described.

For example, it can be sen in FIGURE 1 that the support member 23 is a substantially rectangular box-like means formed of cardboard or the like having top wall means 28 and bottom wall means 29 held in spaced relation by opposed side wall means 39' and 31 and opposed end wall means 32 and 33. The upper wall 28 of the support member 23 is interrupted by a plurality of openings 34 to receive and hold the bottom end means 22 of the article 21 in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 8-10 whereby the articles 21 will be disposed in a predetermined arrangement and spaced from each other by the spacing means 34 of the support member 23.

For example, the articles 21 can comprise substantially rectangular flash cubes for cameras wherein the lower end means 22 thereof are of a shape to be substantially press fitted in the openings 34 and form the means for being telescoped into a particular socket of a flash gun or the like. Since each side face of the flash cube 21 includes an indicator that changes color if that particular part of the cube 21 has become defective, it can be seen that by having each cube 21 spaced from the adjacent cubes 21, the ultimate consumer can inspect all faces of the packaged cubes to determine whether any sides are bad without opening the package construction.

After the articles 21 have been assembled to the support member 23 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2, a sheet of heat shrinkable material, such as the aforementioned polyvinylchloride formed in any suitable manner, is disposed about the assembled support member 23 and articles 21 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3 whereby the opposed ends or edges 35 and 36 of the sheet 24 are adapted to be disposed in overlapping relation along the bottom wall 29 of the support member 23 and be heat sealed together to form the tubular member 24 illustrated in FIGURE 3 telescopically receiving the assembled support member 23 and articles 21, the resulting tubular member 24 having the opposed open ends 37 and 38 thereof extending beyond the opposed end means 39 and 40 of the assembled support member 23 and articles 21 for a purpose hereinafter described. Of course, it is to be understood that the film-like member 24 can initially be formed integrally in the tubular configuration illustrated in FIG- URE 3 by extrusion or the like without having the bottom longitudinal seam means 41 previously described. Also the seam 41 could be located anywhere along the tubular member 24 other than at the bottom thereof and can be formed by solvent sealing rather than by heat sealing. For example, such solvent sealing or securing means for the aforementioned polyvinyl chloride can comprise cyclohexanone.

In any event, the telescoping tubular film-like member 24 is initially and partially heat shrunk into the configuration illustrated in FIGURE 4 to cause the upper portion 25 of the film-like member 24 to tightly compact against the upper end means 27 of the articles 21 and substantially draw inwardly toward the support member 23 between adjacent articles 21 as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the opposed extending ends 37 and 38 of the film-like tubular member 24 also partially overlapping the opposed end means 39 and 40 of the assembled support member 23 and articles 21 during this initial and partial heat shrinking operation.

Thereafter, the upper portion 26 of the partially heat shrunk tubular film-like member 24 is formed with slit means 42 between adjacent articles 21 with the slit means 42 dividing the upper port-ion 25 of the tubular film-like member 24 into the plurality of parts 26 previously described and separating the same from each other not only at the top of the film-like member 24 but also down the opposed sides of the film-like member 24 to points 43 intermediate the top means 27 and bottom means or base 22 of the articles 21, the slit means 42 in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 5 extending substantially to the top edge means 28 of the support member 23.

The slit means 42 in the upper portion 25 of the filmlike member 24 can be formed in any suitable manner, such as by cutting the top portion 25 with rotary knives, razor blades or other cutting device or may be formed therein by heated wire means, which, in effect, burns through the film-like member 24 to form the slit means 42.

In any event, the combination illustrated in FIGURE 5 is subsequently subjected to further heating to cause the final heat shrinking of the film-like member 24 into the configuration illustrated in FIGURE 6 wherein the separated parts 26 of the upper portion 25 of the filmlike member 24 not only tightly compacts against the respective top end means 27 of the articles 21 to compact the articles 21 and support member 23 togther, but also overlap and compact against the side wall means 44 of the respective articles 21 so that each heat shrunk part 26 of the film-like member 24 holds its respective articles 21 to the support member 23 independently of the holding relation of the other parts 26 whereby the articles 21 will not be pulled toward each other by the shrinking operation of the film-like member 24 as would be the case if the slit means 42 were not provided. Also, the causing of subsequent movement of one of the parts 26 and its respective article 21 relative to the package construction 20 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 7 to remove that particular article 21 from the package construction 20 does not afiect the remaining parts 26 in their function of tightly compacting and holding their respective articles 21 to the support member 23.

Therefore, it can be seen that the method of this invention as illustrated in sequence in FIGURE 1 through 6 can simply and economically form the package construction 20 for the purpose previously described.

However, it is to be understood that the step of forming the slit means 42 in the film-like member 24 can take place while the package construction is being passed through a heating tunnel or the like whereby the partial heat shrinking operation of FIGURE 4 and final heat shrinking operation of FIGURE 6 can both take place within such heating tunnel means so that a substantially continuous heat shrinking operation can be provided for the tubular film-like member 24.

Further, it may be found that when the sheet means 24 is initially disposed around the assembled support member 23 and articles 21 in the manner illustrated in FIG- URE 3 and have the overlapping edges 35 and 36 thereof heat sealed together to form the longitudinal seam 41, the upper portion 25 of the film-like member 24 may be disposed against the upper end means 27 of the articles 21 in a tight enough relationship so that the partial heat shrinking operation illustrated in FIGURE 4 need not be required before the slit means 42 are formed in the upper portion 25 of the film-like member 24 whereby the partial heat shrinking step of FIGURE 4 can be eliminated.

While the aforementioned polyvinyl chloride tubular member 24 of this invention has a relatively high impact and tear resistance so that the resulting package construction 20 can withstand normal shipping, storing and merchandising abuse or the like, the slit means 42 previously described readily permits a tear propagation across a particular part 26 of the film-like member 24 when it is desired to remove its respective article 21 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 7 because the pivoting of such article 21 provides a relatively large moment arm to effect such tearing operation.

If desired, the material forming the heat shrunk tubular member 24 of this invention can comprise one or more sheets of polyvinyl chloride laminated to each other to produce the desired thickness and minimize gauge de- 6 viations in a particular layer and can have the heat shrinking properties thereof substantially controlled or oriented whereby the degree of heat shrinking between the opposed ends 37 and 38 of the tubular member 24 of FIGURE 3 will be different than the degree of transverse or girth shrinking thereof so that the ends 37 and 38 of the tubular member 27 will not pull back over the opposed end means 39 and 40 of the assembled support member 23 and articles 21 and the overlapping portions of the parts 26 will not pull over the top end means 27 of the respective articles 21 during the final heat shrinking operation so that the side wall means 44 of the articles 21 will be properly engaged by the member 24 for the previously described compacting and holding function.

Another package construction of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 45 in FIGURES 1l-13 and is formed in substantially the same manner as the package construction 20 previously described except that the articles 46 of the package construction 45 comprise product-containing bottles or the like disposed in abutting relationship and are supported in an open top 47 of a tray-like support member 48, the support member 48 having a bottom wall 49 and opposed side wall means 50 to substantially stabilize the article 46 in the encompassing heat shrunk tubular film-like member 51 having the upper portion 52 thereof separated into a plurality of parts 53 respectively engaging and compacting against the upper neck portions 54 of the bottle-like articles 46.

However, it has been found that the package constructions of this invention can be formed in the manner previously described without requiring a support member for supporting the lower ends of the articles if the lower ends of the articles are so shaped that the same will not tend to pivot toward each other during the subsequent heat shrinking operation on the encompassing tubular filmlike member.

For example, reference is now made to FIGURES 14-16 wherein another package construction of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 45A with parts thereof similar to the package construction 45 are indicated by like reference numerals followed by the reference letter A.

As illustrated in FIGURES 1416, it can be seen that the heat shrunk tubular film-like member 51A holds the articles 46A in a compact predetermined arrangement for the aforementioned purposes while permitting each article 46A to be serially removed from the package construction 45A Without destroying the holding properties of the remaining upper parts 53A of the heat shrunk tubular film-like member 51A for the purposes previously described in connection with the package construction 20. However, because the lower portions of the bottles or articles 46A have substantially rectangular cross-sectional configurations as shown, there is no tendency for the outboard articles 46A to have the upper ends 53A pivot toward the inboard articles 46A during the heat shrinking of the tubular film-like member 51A whereby the stabilizing support 48 of FIGURE 11 need not be utilized with the package construction 45A of FIGURE 14.

While the package construction 20 of FIGURE 6 and the package construction 45 of FIGURE 11 are illustrated with articles 21 and 51 having the lower portion thereof of substantially conventional rectangular or cylindrical configurations, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention are particularly adaptable for forming like package constructions for articles having other configurations that greatly increases the tendency for the abutting articles to tip and ride up relative to each other during the heat shrinking of the encompassing film-like tubular member.

For example, reference is now made to FIGURES 17 and 18 wherein another embodiment of package construction of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 55 and comprises an open top traylike means 56 carrying a plurality of tapering containers or articles 57 in aligned relation and being encased in a heat shrunk tubular film-like member 58 formed in the manner previously described.

However, it can be seen from FIGURES 17 and 18 that each article 57 has a relatively wide base or bottom portion 59 adapted to be disposed on the fiat bottom wall means 60 of the tray-like means 56 and progressively tapers from such bottom portion 59 to the top cap end 61 thereof whereby it the film-like member 58 is not provided with the slit means 62 in the upper portion 63 thereof in the manner previously described, the subsequent heat shrinking of the tubular film-like member 58 would readily cause the outboard articles 57 to tip or pivot toward the inboard article 57 in a manner more visually apparent than the articles 52 of FIGURE 11.

Compound words containing the suffix like are used herein to mean that which is described by the word without the sufiixed and that which otherwise has its essential characteristics.

In view of the above, it can be seen that this invention not only provides an improved package construction for readily permitting serial removal of the package articles without affecting the packaged condition of the remaining articles, but also this invention provides improved methods for making such a package construction or the like.

What is claimed is:

1. A package construction comprising a plurality of articles disposed in a predetermined arrangement and having opposed ends and side wall means between said opposed ends thereof, a film-like member initially holding said articles in said predetermined arrangement with substantial parts of adjacent side wall means of adjacent articles being directly exposed to each other, said filmlike member having a portion thereof engaging one set of said ends of said articles, said portion of said film-like member being separated into parts between adjacent engaged ends of said articles by continuous slit-like openings in said portion so that said separate parts of said portion respectively engage said one ends of said articles whereby said articles are each individually held substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said package construction without tending to tip toward an adjacent article and can be serially removed from said package construction by causing relative movement between the respective engaging part of said portion of said film-like member and said package construction while the remaining articles are being retained in said arrangement by the remaining parts of said film-like member, and a support member supporting the other ends of said articles, said film-like member holding said articles and said support member together.

2. A package construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support member comprises an open top traylike means receiving said other ends of said articles.

3. A package construction comprising a plurality of articles disposed in a predetermined arrangement and having opposed ends and side wall means between said opposed ends thereof, a film-like member initially holding said articles in said predetermined arrangement with substantial parts of adjacent side wall means of adjacent articles being directly exposed to each other, said film-like member having a portion thereof engaging one set of said ends of said articles, said portion of said film-like member being separated into parts between adjacent engaged ends of said articles by continuous slit-like openings in said portion so that said separate parts of said portion respectively engage said one ends of said articles whereby said articles are each individually held substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said package construction without tending to tip toward an adjacent article and can be serially removed from said package construction by causing relative movement between the respective engaging part of said portion of said film-like member and said package construction while the remaining articles are being retained in said arrangement by the remaining parts of said film-like member, and a support member supporting the other ends of said articles, said support member having meansfor spacing said articles relative to each other to provide said predetermined arrangement.

4. A package construction comprising a plurality of articles disposed in a predetermined arrangement and having opposed ends, a film-like member initially holding said articles in said predetermined arrangement and having a portion thereof engaging one set of said ends of said articles, and a support member supporting the other ends of said articles, said film-like member holding said articles and said support member together, said portion of said film-like member being separated into parts between adjacent engaged ends of said articles so that said separate parts of said portion respectively engaged said one ends of said articles whereby said articles are each individually held substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said package construction without tending to tip toward an adjacent article and can be serially removed from said package construction by causing relative movement between the respective engaging part of said portion of said film-like member and said package construction while the remaining articles are being retained in said arrangement by the remaining parts of said film-like member, said film-like member being tubular and telescopially receiving said support member and said articles.

5. A package construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein said tubular film-like member has opposed opened ends overlapping opposed ends of the assembled support member and articles.

6. A package construction as set forth in claim 5 wherein each article has side wall means, wherein said support member has upper edge means and wherein each part of said tubular film-like member overlaps part of said side wall means of its respective article, said parts of said film-like member each being separated also along the opposed sides of said tubular film-like member to points intermediate the opposed ends of its respective article.

7. A package construction comprising a plurality of articles disposed in a predetermined arrangement and having opposed ends and side walls means between said opposed ends thereof, and a heat shrunk film-like member initially holding said articles in said predetermined arrangement with substantial parts of adjacent side wall means of adjacent articles being directly exposed to each other, said film-like member having a portion thereof engaging and compacting against one set of said ends of said articles, said portion ofsaid heat shrunk film-like member being separated into parts between adjacent engaged ends of said articles by continuous slit-like openings in said portion so that said separate parts of said portion respectively engage and compact against said one ends of said articles whereby said articles are each individually held substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said package construction without tending to tip toward an adjacent article and can be serially removed from said package construction by causing relative movement 'between the respective engaging and compacting part of said portion of said film-like member and said package construction while the remaining articles are being retained and compacted in said arrangement by the remaining parts of said film-like member, and a support member supporting the other ends of said article, said film-like member holding and compacting said articles and said support member together.

8. A package construction as set forth in claim 7 wherein said support member comprises an open top traylike means receiving said other ends of said articles.

9. A package construction comprising a plurality of articles disposed in a predetermined arrangement and having opposed ends, and a heat shrunk film-like member initially holding said articles in said predetermined arrangement and having a portion thereof engaging and compacting against one set of said ends of said articles, and a support member supporting the other ends of said articles, said film-like member holding said articles and said support member together, said portion of said heat shrunk film-like member being separated into parts between adjacent engaged ends of said articles so that said separate parts of said portion respectively engage and compact against said one ends of said articles whereby said articles are each individually held substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said package construction without tending to tip toward an adjacent article and can be serially removed from said package construction by causing relative movement between the respective engaging and compacting part of said portion of said film-like member and said package construction while the remaining articles are being retained and compacted in said arrangement by the remaining parts of said film-like member, said support member having means for spacing said articles relative to each other to provide said predetermined arrangement.

10. A package construclion comprising a plurality of articles disposed in a predetermined arrangement and having opposed ends, and a heat shrunk film-like member initially holding said articles in said predetermined arrangement and having a portion thereof engaging and compacting against one set of said ends of said articles, and a support member supporting the other ends of said articles, said film-like member holding said articles and said support member together, said portion of said heat shrunk film-like member being separated into parts between adjacent engaged ends of said articles so that said separate parts of said portion respectively engage and compact against said one ends of said articles whereby said articles are each individually held substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said package construction without tending to tip toward an adjacent article and can be serially removed from said package construction by causing relative movement between the respective engaging and compacting part of said portion of said film-like member and said package construction while the remaining articles are being retained and compacted in said arrangement by the remaining parts of said film-like member, said film-like member being tubular and telescopically receiving said support member and said articles to compact said articles and said support member together.

11. A package construction as set forth in claim wherein said tubular film-like member has opposed open ends overlapping and compacting against opposed ends of the assembled support member and articles.

12.. A package construction as set forth in claim 11 wherein each article has side wall means, wherein said support member has upper edge means and wherein, each part of said tubular film-like member overlaps and compacts against part of said side wall means of its respective article, said parts of said film-like member each being separated also along the opposed sides of said tubular film-like member to points intermeidate the opposed ends of its respective article.

13. A package construction comprising a plurality of flash cubes each having a substantially cubical portion with four side walls and a cylindrical base, a substantially rectangular box-like support member having a surface provided with a plurality of openings therein respectively receiving said bases of said flash cubes to support said flash cubes in a predetermined arrangement, and a heat shrunk tubular film-like member telescopically receiving the assembled flash cubes and support member therein to hold said flash cubes and said support member together with substantially the major parts of adjacent sides of adjacent flash cubes being directly exposed to each other, said film-like member having a portion thereof engaging and compacting against the tops of said flash cubes, said portion of said film-like member being separated into parts between adjacent engaged tops of said flash cubes by continuous slit-like openings in said portion so that said separate parts of said portion respectively engage and compact against said tops of said flash cubes whereby said flash cubes are each individually held substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said package construction without tending to tip toward an adjacent flash cube and can be serially removed from said package construction by causing relative movement between the respective engaging and compacting part of said portion of said film-like member and said package construction while the remaining flash cubes are being retained and compacted in said arrangement by the remaining parts of said film-like member.

14. A package construction as set forth in claim 13 wherein each part of said film-like member overlaps and compacts against parts of the side walls of its respective flash cube.

15. A package construction as set forth in claim 13 wherein said tubular film-like member has opposed open ends overlapping and compacting against opposed ends of said support member and the respective outboard flash cubes.

16. A package construction as set forth in claim 13 wherein said openings in said surface of said support member are so arranged that the adjacent sides of adjacent flash cubes assembled thereto are spaced from each other.

17. A package construction as set forth in claim 16 wherein said openings in said surface of said support member are arranged in 'a single row.

18. A package construction as set forth in claim 17 wherein said support member has opposed side walls separated by said surface having said openings therein, said flash cubes each having opposed sides thereof disposed substantially coplanar with said opposed side walls of said support member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,456,610 12/ 1948 Baker 206-45.33 X 2,980,245 4/ 1961 Stoker. 3,184,059 5/ 1965 Kaplan. 3,347,365 10/ 1967 Funkhouser. 3,369,655 2/ 1968 Harrison. 3,385,429 5/1968 Becker et al. 3,400,810 9/1968 Makowski. 2,752,037 6/ 1956 Vogt. 3,054,679 9/ 1962 Bradford. 3,047,140 7/1962 Robins.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,246,907 10 1960 France.

MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 20656, 45.33 

